8. Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay of Plenty) Link to this
to the Prime Minister
What was the date and nature of the offer made to Plunket that she referred to in the House last week when she said, “I have received advice that Plunket was offered funding for more calls and did not take up the offer.”?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) Link to this
I am advised that on 5 July last year McKesson New Zealand Ltd, which subcontracted the well child service to Plunket, wrote to Plunket offering increased funding for an agreed number of calls above that specified in the service agreement.
Has she yet asked the basic question of her staff as to how many calls PlunketLine was actually contracted to make, and has she asked her ministry why Plunket was required to sign a contract that expressly prohibited PlunketLine from answering more calls and expressly prohibited Plunket from commenting on that contracted number of calls?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
I have ascertained that the subcontract with McKesson was for a figure of 140,000 calls by the end of its 2-year contract, on 30 June. I am further advised that Plunket neither has achieved nor is on track to achieve that target, and I repeat, as I said to the member last week, that a rate of abandoned calls at 87.3 percent is not a good outcome.
Madam SPEAKERIs she the same Helen Clark who stated: “I want to make a special plea for government funding of Plunket Line. It was Labour’s policy to fund it because we have been very impressed by the service. With more funding to operate more lines with more nurses, it could have been even better.”?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
Yes, and I confirm, as I told the member in the original answer, that Plunket was offered more funding to do more calls.
Is she the same Helen Clark who said: “We will back to the hilt our PlunketLine.”, and why has she become so out of touch with New Zealanders on this issue?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
I have worked very closely with Plunket over many, many years, and I also have a responsibility to make sure that a well child service is a good one. The contracted organisation was unable to meet the number of calls it was contracted for, refused more money, and abandoned 87.3 percent of the calls—it is a very strange Opposition that tells the Government to keep paying the money.
Jo GoodhewHas the Prime Minister seen reports that the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, which is the union representing both PlunketLine and Healthline nurses, has backed PlunketLine; and has she also reviewed the postcard campaign she championed, which said: “Don’t Let the Hotline Go Cold”, while she has been freezing out that very same PlunketLine?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
I never thought I would hear the day when a National member of Parliament would quote a union in this House—in its favour.
I seek leave to table the press release from the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, “Nurses Organisation Backs PlunketLine Petition”, which states: “You can’t take the Plunket out of PlunketLine.”
Gerry BrownleeI raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. The Prime Minister’s answer to that question could hardly be considered to have addressed the question. It was an interesting comment—perhaps an observation on her part—but it did not address the question.
I thank the member. I thought Jo Goodhew was going to raise the same point, but she moved on to seek leave to table the document. Perhaps the Prime Minister would like to add a little to her answer, please.
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
This Government is absolutely committed to funding 24-hour phone services, which is something that that member’s party never did, and we never heard her voice in advocacy.